The New England Patriots have neglected left tackle for years, and with a new franchise quarterback in Drake Maye now fully established, they can’t afford to kick the can down the road any longer.
The issue with New England’s current draft position is the lack of a true No. 1 tackle in the 2025 class. Both Will Campbell of LSU and Armand Membou of Missouri figure to be available for New England at pick No. 4 overall, but if new head coach Mike Vrabel isn’t in love with either of those prospects, it’s easy to see him pivoting to a playmaker — like Penn State’s Tyler Warren or Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty — or stud defensive lineman — like Mason Graham of Michigan.
Gennaro Filice of NFL.com predicts the Patriots will pass on taking a tackle inside the top-five picks, with an eye on trading back up into Round 1 for Texas Longhorns star Kelvin Banks Jr. He believes the Minnesota Vikings could be the perfect trade partner for Banks at pick No. 24 overall. Here was his take:
After using the No. 4 overall pick to bolster the defensive line, the Patriots jump back into Round 1 to upgrade the O-line. Sending Minnesota its second-round pick (No. 38) and the higher of its two third-rounders (No. 69), New England leapfrogs a slew of tackle-needy teams to secure Banks. Having logged 42 starts at left tackle in his three years at Texas, Banks deserves the opportunity to man the blind side in the NFL, even if some project a move to the inside.
The Vikings have been the most popular trade-back team in this draft, as they currently hold four total 2025 selections, including two inside the top-100. Minnesota’s 73-pick gap between their first selection at No. 24 overall, and their second at pick No. 97, is something GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will surely want to address. Moving back into Day 2 and recouping a high third-round selection would be a nice haul for Minnesota, which could look to address its defensive line or secondary at pick No. 38 overall.
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As for the Patriots, protecting Maye’s blind side is an absolute must in this draft, so if Banks is their guy, spending a third-round pick to move up makes sense.
Banks was an elite player for the Longhorns in 2024, starting every game at left tackle while notching high PFF grades both in pass protection (89.9) and run blocking (81.0). He allowed just 10 total pressures and one sack in 15 games.
